Women’s Sports Is Creating a New Marketing Playbook

Women’s sports has moved beyond an emerging opportunity and has become one of the most passionate and engaged communities in media.

The numbers tell the story. More than 145 million U.S. adults enjoy women’s sports, fandom has doubled since 2019, social engagement has increased by 140%, and global revenue is projected to reach more than $2.3 billion by the end of 2026.

The growth is about deeper connections.

Fans are showing up for athletes who inspire them, communities they identify with, and stories that reflect their values. The result is a fan base that is highly engaged, culturally influential, and increasingly important for marketers trying to build meaningful relationships with consumers. 

For brands, this creates an opportunity that extends far beyond traditional sponsorships.

Why Are Women’s Sports Fans So Valuable for Brands?

Today’s women’s sports fans are invested in the people behind the competition.

Fans are 2.8x more likely to purchase products recommended by women athletes, and 85% want more content from women’s sports creators beyond sports coverage alone.  

That matters because influence increasingly comes from trust.

Whether it’s a podcast conversation, a social post, a live panel discussion, or a behind-the-scenes story, audiences are seeking authentic voices they believe in. This aligns with a broader consumer trend identified across iHeart research: people are gravitating toward human connection and trusted personalities in a world filled with increasingly automated and algorithm-driven experiences.

The most effective brand partnerships are actually enhancing the fan experience.

What Makes Women's Sports a Year-Round Conversation?

The biggest moments in women's sports don't begin and end with the final whistle.

Think about events like the WNBA Draft, a championship run, or a major international soccer tournament. Fans are following athlete journeys, draft-night fashion, career milestones, social conversations, business ventures, community impact, and the personalities shaping the culture around the game.

That's where the opportunity for brands expands beyond final scores.

A fan might discover an athlete during a marquee game, but the relationship often deepens through podcasts, social content, interviews, and live conversations that reveal who that person is beyond the court or field. The conversation shifts naturally from sports to leadership, wellness, identity, entertainment, style, and culture.

The iHeart Women's Sports Podcast Network helps fuel those deeper connections.

Shows like Good Game with Sarah Spain give fans access to the stories, perspectives, and personalities behind the headlines, creating the kind of ongoing engagement that turns casual viewers into passionate community members.

For brands, that means showing up in a conversation that lasts all year, not just during game time.

How iHeart Women’s Sports Creates Full-Funnel Opportunities

Many brands struggle with a common challenge. They can find audiences, but they can’t easily engage those audiences consistently across multiple channels.

iHeart Women’s Sports addresses that challenge by bringing together audio, creators, live experiences, social content, and audience amplification within a single ecosystem.  

Brands can tap into:

• Influential athletes, reporters, and creators producing content across audio, social, video, and events.  
• Dedicated women’s sports podcast programming with 18+ shows and more than 6.5 million downloads to date. 
• Broadcast radio coverage reaching audiences through 500+ stations and 4,100+ weekly women’s sports reports. 
• Streaming audio opportunities across 60+ sports streaming stations. 
• Live activations at major women’s sports and cultural events throughout the year. 

This creates a connected experience that follows fans wherever they are listening, watching, engaging, and gathering.

Why Audio Is Uniquely Positioned to Power Women’s Sports Growth

Women’s sports fans want access, perspective, and community.

Audio delivers all three.

Podcasts create space for longer conversations and deeper storytelling. Hosts can discuss the game, but they can also explore leadership, resilience, identity, wellness, business, culture, and the personal journeys that resonate with audiences. 

This is one reason the iHeart Women’s Sports Podcast Network continues to expand, featuring voices from athletes, journalists, and creators across basketball, soccer, tennis, golf, softball, motorsports, wellness, and more. 

Audio also builds the kind of trust marketers increasingly value. Listeners develop relationships with hosts over time, creating an environment where brand messages feel more natural, relevant, and credible. That dynamic is central to iHeart’s broader belief that human-created audio remains one of the most powerful ways to connect people at scale.

The Opportunity Goes Beyond Media

Perhaps the most exciting aspect of women’s sports today is that fandom extends far beyond game day.

Fans are showing up for live events, social conversations, cultural moments, industry summits, athlete-driven storytelling, and community experiences year-round.

Through iHeart Women’s Sports, brands can participate in tentpole moments such as women’s basketball, soccer, tennis, and other major events while also maintaining an always-on presence through podcasts, radio reports, and digital content. 

This allows marketers to move beyond awareness and become part of the stories and communities fans care about most.

FAQs

Why should brands invest in women’s sports now?
Women’s sports fandom is growing rapidly, with audience size, social engagement, advertising investment, and revenue all increasing significantly. Brands that invest now have an opportunity to build authentic connections with a highly engaged audience. 

What makes women’s sports fans different?
Women’s sports fans are deeply connected to athletes, creators, and the broader culture surrounding the games. Research shows strong trust, influence, and engagement with athlete-driven content.

How can brands activate through iHeart Women’s Sports?
Brands can leverage podcasts, broadcast radio, streaming audio, creator partnerships, audience targeting, social content, and live experiences through integrated programs. 

What types of content are available?
The network includes shows hosted by athletes, journalists, and creators across multiple sports and cultural topics, giving brands flexibility to align with different audiences and objectives. 

The Impact for Today’s Marketers

The rise of women’s sports is one of the most compelling cultural stories in media today.

The momentum is real, the audience is growing, and fans are actively looking for brands that support the communities and stories they care about.

For marketers, the opportunity is to show up authentically within the conversations, voices, and experiences that are helping shape its future.

Ready to connect with one of the fastest-growing fan communities in media through trusted voices, live moments, and Guaranteed Human content? Let’s chat.